http://www.HoboMama.com

They’re giving away cloth pads in a contest right now:

http://www.hobomamareviews.com/2011/03/giveaway-gladrags-cloth-menstrual-pad-3.html

http://wisewomanfertility.blogspot.com/2011/03/menstruation-part-iv-cloth-pads.html

I think I’m gonna start posting reviews of different cup brands on here.

How to Use a Menstrual Cup

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
With many of us becoming aware of the effects of our lifestyles on the environment, lots of women are choosing to use menstrual cups as an alternative to standard sanitary pads and tampons. A cup collects menstrual fluid, instead of absorbing it like a tampon, and is cleaned and reused, lasting as long as ten years. Continue reading to learn how to use a cup.

Steps

1. Read the instructions. Read over the pamphlets that come with your cup provided until you feel comfortable to go ahead. Also see How to Clean a Menstrual Cup for directions on cleaning your cup, and if you are on the fence about using a cup, see How to Decide About Using a Menstrual Cup for more information about cups.
2. Practice different folds. The C fold shown on instruction manuals isn’t the best technique for many women. When you use the C the widest part of the cup is just at the beginning. Another fold (although there are tons) is the Punchdown fold. To make this fold, place your finger on the rim of the cup, and push it down into the cup.!
3. Wash your hands and rinse your cup. This will remove any dust or dirt from your hands and cup.
4. Stay relaxed and try not to tense your muscles. This may make it painful or difficult to insert. Be patient; the first time inserting it is always the hardest, so don’t give up if you’re having trouble at first.
5. Get into a comfortable position. You may try inserting the cup while over the toilet. You can also try squatting down, putting on leg on the edge or the toilet or tub, or laying down on the floor with your knees up and legs apart.
6. Find your cervix. Reach back and feel for your cervix. Aiming the cup in the direction of your cervix will help. This way you wont accidentally poke your cervix with your cup, or take up space in the cup with your cervix.
7. Insert the cup. Fold your cup and then hold it with one hand (stem facing downwards). Spread apart your labia and find the opening of your vagina with your other hand. Now push the cup in towards your pubic bone, not straight up. The cup should pop open. Continue to push the cup in until it is comfortable. (The cup may ride low or high depending on your body.)
8. Make sure the cup is fully open. Reach up and feel around the base of the cup. It should be round or at least oval. (The cup may not ever open up all the way depending on your body.) If not try doing a few Kegel exercises or rotating the cup by twirling the base. You can also reach up with a finger and press part of the vaginal wall out of the way, so air can travel up and fill the cup.
9. Wait up to twelve hours. If you have a heavy flow you will have to empty it more often, because this is the maximum recommended time. For your first cycle with a cup you’ll have to do a bit of experimenting to find out how long you can leave your cup in before leaking. (It’s a good idea to wear a back up pantyliner.)
10. Remove the cup. Bear down with your muscles so the cup will travel down farther. Continue doing this until you can reach the stem. Wiggle the cup back and forth and out. You may get a better grip on the base of the cup. When you get close to getting the cup out make sure you take it out upright. This will reduce spillage.
11. Dump the contents of the cup in the toilet or sink. Rinse the cup with water, and maybe a little fragrance free, non-antibacterial soap. Bend the cup at the suction holes under the water, making sure they clear of fluid. Dry your cup if it’s too slippery and reinsert.
12. Learn how to clean your cup. See How to Clean a Menstrual Cup and choose the method that works best for you.
13. Remember that it may take a while to get used to using a menstrual cup. Take your time to get used to it. Menstrual cups have a learning curve of about 3-4 cycles and if eventually, you find out it’s not for you, that’s fine.

Video: Folding a Cup

Video: Inserting and Removing a Cup

Tips

• There is a disposable brand called Instead that is available at most drugstores; however, this is not a reusable cup. It is composed of a ring and a plastic sac.
• If you are a virgin, you may find that your vaginal opening does not easily stretch to accommodate a cup. If this is the case, it may help to stretch it over the course of a week or so by using your fingers. Start with one or two and increase to three as your body will allow.
• If you find the stem on your cup to be uncomfortable, you can always cut part or all of it off. Make sure the end is filed down so it doesn’t poke you however, and remember you will have to work solely with the base of the cup during removal.
• Menstrual cups work by holding the blood, rather than absorbing it like a tampon, therefore can be emptied less frequently. This also means the cup can be inserted when your period is due, and before it starts. You can also use the cup for heavy cervical mucus.
• Single-stall washrooms with private sinks are a great place to empty your menstrual cup, if you can find them.
• For bathrooms that don’t have single stalls with a sink, bring some feminine wipes, a small bottle of water with you to rinse the cup with, or use toilet paper. It’s also fine to just tip the contents of the cup into the toilet and reinsert.
• When trying to insert a menstrual cup for the first time, make sure you have enough time to work with, and are in a washroom you feel comfortable in; public bathroom stalls are bad.
• If you find the stem on your menstrual cup is too long, it can be trimmed to a shorter length for comfort by using a standard pair of scissors. You may want to file down the end so it is more comfortable.
• Some women find that putting a little lubricant onto the menstrual cup makes it easier to insert. You may only used water-based lubricant however.
• Menstrual cups are very comfortable to wear and sporting activities such as swimming or yoga can be performed with no ill effect. Make sure your cup is properly sealed however.
• If you are uncomfortable with the concept of tampons or cups, but still want to use reusable menstrual products look into cloth pads. You can buy them online or make them yourself!
• Cups most often come in two sizes. The smaller is usually recommended for women under 30, and the larger is recommended for women over 30 and/or those have given birth vaginally. However a large cup in one brand may be the same size as a small cup in another! Therefore, it is more important to consider the heaviness of your flow and features of your anatomy, than adhering to this guideline. See Choose a Menstrual Cup for more infomation.

Warnings

• Menstrual cups are not a form of contraceptive and must be removed before sexual intercourse. (However, disposable softcups can be used but also not as contraceptives.)
• Do not forget that you have a menstrual cup in. Empty and rinse at least every 12 hours. If you leave it in longer, watch out for signs of infection.
• There are no cases of cup related TSS, but if you notice any symptoms of TSS, contact a doctor right away.
• On heavier days, a full cup can leak; wearing back up pads and emptying your cup more often for these days can help.
• Be careful to keep the cup in an upright position when pulling it out so it does not spill.
• Don’t be discouraged if a friend is disgusted by the concept of a menstrual cups. Some people will open to the idea, and some will not. A good way to open the subject is, “Have you heard of menstrual cups?” This way you can gauge their initial reaction, and whether you want to try to convince them to try a cup and share your experience.
• Don’t worry about making sure your cup’s position matches a picture or a diagram. Depending on the shape of your vagina and your cervix location, the cup may sit high or low. And once it inserted, it will most likely gravitate there on it’s own.

Related wikiHows

• How to Clean a Menstrual Cup
• How to Choose a Menstrual Cup
• How to Make Your Own Reusable Menstrual Pads
• How to Wash a Reusable Menstrual Pad
• How to Reduce Menstrual Cramps
• How to Use a Tampon
• How to Swim when You Are on Your Period
• How to Decide About Menstrual Cups As a Teen

Sources and Citations

• Menstrual Cup Community on LiveJournal – A place to talk, read, and get advice
• Feminine Wear – Menstrual Cup Retailer

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Thanks to all the authors for contributing: Bex, Jack Herrick, Anonymous, Sondra C, Alyson, Flickety, Zach, Nicole Willson, Dave Crosby, Jonathan E., Desuiseiseki, Travis Derouin, Dvortygirl, FourFinger, MA, Lottiotta, DoubleHelix, Amazon111, Maluniu, Glutted, Discoverer_angela, Tah626, Lillian May, BriDGeT, Caroline Ashley Kershaw, BR, Menstrualgod, Beahimsa, Sarah Eliza. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

I’m back again to make a sporadic post. Here are some recent YouTube videos:

Three Bun Styles – Messy, Classic, and Hair Sticks:

Curly Care: Blow Drying With Diffusers (+DevaFuser Review):

Curly Care: Styling Curly Hair Wet:

Curly Care: Growing Long, Healthy Curls

I think I’ll start using this blog to post both YouTube videos and new wikiHow articles. kthxbai

Also I actually got a mic so you can hear me mumble louder.

Those are just the highlights–feel free to check out my channel if you’re interested.